News

October 2, 2008

St. Louis Auto Worker Claims $1 Million Lotto Jackpot

A 62-year-old St. Louis (63115*) man came forward to claim the Sept. 24 Missouri Lotto jackpot worth $1 million. Morris Smith, who is an inspector at the Fenton’s Chrysler truck plant, said he plans to use his windfall to purchase a home. He plans to invest the remainder of the prize money.

Smith purchased his winning ticket at Ferguson Amoco, 1032 S. Florissant in Ferguson. He used numbers that he had picked at random and has been playing for several months. The winning numbers were: 11, 16, 19, 30, 37 and 38.

Smith realized he was a big winner when he saw the Lottery drawing on KTVI, Channel 2, in St. Louis that night.

“I got on the phone and called the Lottery (hotline),” he said. “I called it four times.”

In addition to Smith’s win, Ferguson Amoco will receive a check equal to 1 percent of the prize amount – which is $10,000 – for selling the winning ticket.

To date, 260 tickets worth $1 million or more have been sold since Missouri Lottery sales started in January 1986; 179 of those tickets were Lotto jackpot prizes.